Vaporizer



(No Model.)

G. M. SHERMAN VAPORIZER.

No. 432,843. Patented July 22, 1890.

. are hereinafter fully described.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

GARDNER M. SHERMAN, OF SPRINGFIELD, MASSACHUSETTS.

VAPORIZER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 432,843, dated July 22,1890.

Application filed November 29,1889. Serial No. 332,009- (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, GARDNER M. SHERMAN,

a citizen of the United States, residing at Springfield, in the countyof Hampden and State of Massachusetts, have invented new and usefulImprovements in Vaporizers, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to Vaporizers for the atmospheric disseminationof the vapor of liquid disinfectants, perfumes, or other volatilesubstances, the object being to provide a vaporizer of this class ofimproved construction; and the invention consists in the peculiarconstruction and arrangement of the various parts of the device, all ashereinafter fully described, and more particularly pointed out in theclaims.

In the drawings forming part of this specification, Figure 1 is a Viewof the Wider and Fig. 2 of the narrower side of a vaporizing deviceembodying my improvements, the absorbent cast or porous body thereofbeing shown in full lines in said figures and the casing thereof insection, said figures illustrating other detail parts of the device,which Fig. 3 is a plan View of the top of the vaporizer, a portionthereof being broken away to show certain parts thereunder. Fig. 4 is aview of the end of said cast or porous body, and a cross-section on line4 4, Fig. 1, of the outer and inner cases of the vaporizer. Fig. 5illustrates a modified construction of said porous body and a casetherefor.

The lines 1 1 and 2 2, Fig. 4:, indicate, re spectively, the sectionalelevations of the vaporizer-casings in Figs. 1 and 2.

In the drawings, A indicates a porous body or cast, preferably ofplaster-of-paris, which is capable of absorbing fluids to a considerableextent, and when such fluids are of a volatile nature of giving off saidfluids in vapor form. Said cast or porous absorbent may, if desired, bemade from fire-brick material or similar substance, and burned to suchslight degree as gives it the requisite rigidity and strength, butleaves it in a porous or absorbent condition well known to thosefamiliar with such brick constructions. The said cast,

A is formed with a solid central portion D, having on its sides a seriesof laterally-extending ribs 3, thereby forming therebetween a series ofchambers 5, having surrounding evaporating-walls and having a base 4.The said cast or absorbent is inclosed in a casing consisting of whatmay be termed an inner and an outer case combined. The said inner caseis made, preferably, from metal and having a form in crosssectioncorresponding to that of said cast A, as shown in Fig. 4. The said innercase is indicated by b, and has corrugated walls, through thecorrugations of which air-passages are formed, and has one end thereofclosed, as shown in Figs. 1 and 2, thereby adapting it to the receptionin a chamber at its lower end (indicated by '7) of a volatile fluid, asbelow described. The inwardly-projecting ribs formed by the corrugationsof said inner case b are arranged opposite the edges of the said ribs ofthe porous absorbent A, thereby bringing the inner grooves of saidcorrugated walls of the case b opposite the said vaporizingchambers 5 insaid cast or absorbent, the said inner case grooves andvaporizing-chambers forming conjointly a series of air-passages e fromone end to the other of the vaporizer, and airflowing through saidpassages e is brought into contact with the surfaces of the walls ofsaid chambers 5 in the absorbent A, and becomes thereby charged with thevapors of said volatile fluid, said vaporized air moving upward andescaping from said passages e, as below described. A tube 8 (see Figs. 2and 4) is placed within said inner casin g I), and extends from theupper end thereof to the upper portion of said fluid-receiving chamber,the fluid to be supplied to the latter being poured through said tubewhen said chamber is so filled without removing the absorbent A from thecasing; but said tube may be dispensed With and the said chamber 7 befilled by removing the cast or absorbent, if preferred. The saidcorrugated inner case b has a series of air passages or perforations 0through its sides, as shown in Figs. 1 and 2, through which air ispermitted to flow through the said vaporizing-chambers e, as belowdescribed. The said inner case has a flange 9 formed around its base,against which the below-described outer casing of the vaporize-r restswhen the latter is closed, and said flanged base is preferably providedwith a flexible washer 10, against which the lower end of said outercasing may rest, thereby more tightly closing that end of thevaporizer-case, and a similar washer 12 is placed on the upper end ofthe said inner case 1), against which the top of the said outer casingrests, as below described. The said fluid-receivin g chamber 7 isprovided with a metallic or similar support 13, (shown in Fig. 2 as astrip or plate of corrugated metal,) on which indirectly the saidabsorbent cast rests, said support being made in the form shown topermit of a free circulation of the fluid contents of said chamber 7 onboth sides of said support, thereby affording a free contact of saidfluid with the under side of a porous absorbing-pad 14, of felt orsimilar material, which is interposed between said support 7 and thebaset of said absorbentcast, the said pad 14 by capillary .attractionserving to convey the fluid c011- tents of said chamber to the surfaceof the base of said absorbent, the latter taking up said fluid byabsorption, and thereby becoming charged with said fluid matter in sucha way that the surface thereof within its said chambers 5 and elsewheregives off the vapors of said volatile fluid, which vapors escape fromthe casing of the vaporizer, as below described.

It is found in practice that certain of the acid solutions used invaporizers of this class are more or less charged with sediment andsubstances which, if said acid solutions are allowed tocome in directcontact with the absorbent of the vaporizer, fill up the pores thereofmore or less, andimpair the absorbing efficacy ofthe cast, and for thepurpose of preventing this inconvenient effect the said pad 14, whichserves, also, to filter the said fluid as the latter passes through it,is interposed between the base of the absorbent A and the fluid which itis intended shall be absorbed thereby. The said outer case of thevaporizer-casing is also preferably constructed from metal with plainsides, as shown, and is indicated in the drawings by H. Said outer casing is telescopically applied over the said inner casing b,as shown inFigs. 1 and 2, and is frictionally adjusted on the inner casing, so thatit can be drawnup and down thereon, and will, by frictional contact withthe inner case, remain in such position as it may be moved to thereon.Said outer casing 11 has a top 15, provided with perforations o, and hasattached to its inner side by a turningknob 20 a perforated gate 16,having perforations therein corresponding to those in said top 15, andby turning said gate 16 the perforations through the same and said topmay be broughtinto coincidence, thereby forming openings for the escapeof the said vaporized air from the vaporizer, or the perforations in thetop of the outer casing may be wholly or partially closed by turningsaid gate to other positions. Said outer casing I-I being placed overthe inner casing b, as aforesaid, conduces to the formation of verticalair-passages 1 between the inner and outer casings, as shown in Figs. 3and 4;.

In the manipulation of the within-described vaporizer for thedissemination'of the vapors of volatile fluids for disinfecting orperfuming purposes, said fluid is placed within the chamber 7 of theVaporizer, and, as aforesaid, is taken up by said absorbent pad 14: andthereby conveyed to the base of the absorbent cast A, and the lattersoon becomes fully charged with said fluids. To produce the vapors ofsaid fluids, or, in other words, to set said vapors free in a room wheresaid vaporizer may be placed, the outer casing H is raised more or lessabove the base 9 of the inner casing, thereby allowing air to pass in tothe passages y between the outer and inner casings, and thence throughthe perforations 6 in the sides of the inner casing into contact withthe surface of the said absorbent A, and thence upward to the top of theouter casing and also directly upward under said top through saidpassages y, and out of said casing through the openings 1: therein, asindicated by the arrows in Fig. 1. The degree of the elevation of saidouter casing determines the volume of air which may be allowed tocirculate through the vaporizer, said air thereby becoming thoroughlycharged with the vapors of the fluid contained by said porous absorbentA.

Fig. 5 illustrates a porous cast or absorbent A, of a different form tothat shown in Fig. 4 and above described, the form shown in Fig. 5 beingsubstantially of a star shape in end view and like the cast shown inFig. 4:. That in Fig. 5 comprises a solid central portion T),laterally-projecting ribs 0, and chambers 00 .betweensaid ribs, havingthe requisite vaporizing-walls. The said form of cast shown in saidlast-named figure may be substituted for that shown in Fig. 4, but withless advantage as to vaporizing capabilities.

I have hereinabove made description of, and the accompanying drawingsillustrate, certain features of construction which constitute thesubject-matter of claims made by me in another application for LettersPatent of the United States filed simultaneously herewith under SerialNo. 332,008, and this invention, as defined by the claims hereinafter,relates to improvements which are independent of those claimed in myother application; but said present improvements generally relate to thesame class of Vaporizers as do the improvements in said otherapplication.

That I claim as my invention is 1. A vaporizer consisting of anabsorbent body, substantially as described, having a solid centralportion, from the sides of which extend laterally a series of ribsseparated from each other, thereby forming therebetween a series ofchambers having evaporating-walls, combined with a case havingcorrugated walls and air-passages therethrough which inclose saidabsorbent body, and a fluid-receiving chamber therein in communicationwith said absorbent body, and an outer case fitted telescopically oversaid corrugated case having openings in the top thereof for the escapeof vapors, substantially as set forth.

2. A vaporizer consisting of a corrugated case having air-passagestherethrough and a chamber therein for volatile fluids, a pad-supportlocated in said fluid-chamber, a porous pad resting on said support, anabsorbent porous body, substantially as described, contained in saidcase and in contact with said pad, and an outer case fittedtelescopically over said corrugated case having openings in the topthereof for the escape of vapors, substantially as set forth.

3. A vaporizer-case consisting of an inner case having corrugated walls,a fluid-receiving chamber therein, a laterally-extending flange aroundits bottom having a flexible washer thereon, an outer casetelescopically fitted on said inner case and movable thereon toward andfrom said flange, having a top with perforations therethrough, and aperforated gate attached to said top to vary the area of theperforations therein, combined with a porous body, substantially asdescribed, conrained in said inner case and absorbing fluid from saidchamber and giving off vapors thereof from its surface, substantially asset forth.

4. In combination with the porous absorbent body A, having the ribs 3and the chambers 5, the corrugated case I), having a fluidohambertherein, and inwardly-proj ecting ribs opposite the edges of said ribs3, whereby the grooves in said case opposite the chambers 5 and saidchambers form conjointly the airpassages e, extending from the bottom ofsaid case upward, substantially as set forth.

5. In combination with the porous absorbent body A, having the ribs 3and the chambers 5, the corrugated case I), having a fluidchambertherein, and inwardly projecting ribs opposite the edges of said ribs 3,whereby the grooves in said case opposite the chambers 5 and saidchambers form conjointly the air-passages e, extending from the bottomof said case upward, a tube 8 in said case b, connecting with saidfluid-chamber, an outer case H, sliding on said case 1), havingperforations in its top, and the perforated rotating gate 16, operatingin conjunction with said perforated top to vary the areas of theperforations therein, substantially as set forth.

GARDNER M. SHERMAN. lVitnesses:

G. M. CHAMBERLAIN, H. A. CHAPIN.

